You are here

War of the Rebellion: Serial 095 Page 1281 Chapter LVIII. THE APPOMATTOX CAMPAIGN.

Search Civil War Official Records

great success, and although the difficulties on Colonel Jones' line were very great, he succeeded in withdrawing all but about ten, which for the most part were not provided with horses, and not intended to be removed. Several mortars were also brought off. Every piece that was abandoned was first disabled. After making all necessary arrangement with regard to this movement, and seeing all the guns safely across the river, about 2 a.m. on the 3rd I moved on by the Hickory road, marching all night.

The march on the 3rd was fatiguing, and very slow, on account of the immense number of carriages with the army. At night I bivouacked on the roadside about nine miles from Goode's Bridge.

I reached Amelia Court-House on the morning of the 4th, and immediately proceeded to make arrangements for reducing the artillery with the troops to a proportionate quantity, and properly to dispose of the surplus. These arrangements were at last effected; and on the 5th General Walker moved to the right and west of the line of march of the army, having in charge all the artillery not needed with the troops. Ninety-five caissons, mostly loaded, which had early in the winter been sent to the rear from Petersburg, were here destroyed.

Moving on past Amelia Springs, by 10 o'clock the next morning [6th] we reached Rice's Station, on the South Side Railroad. Our troops here went into line, and I chose positions for guns commanding the Burkeville road and sweeping the ground to its left. On this line there was heavy skirmishing during the evening, but no attack by the enemy. The enemy's cavalry meanwhile having attacked our wagon train about two miles back on the road, I [happening to be with the commanding general when he received information of this] was requested by him to see what could be done to prevent any further loss in that quarter. On the way I met a few wearied men of Harris' brigade, and taking from them some twenty volunteers proceed with them to the road where the train had been attacked. While attempting to rescue some of the property most valuable, I discovered a line of the enemy in a thick pine wood, and supposing it to be but a small body I arranged for an attack upon them [with] one of General Cooke's regiments, which had just reported to me in consequence of a message previously sent to the commanding general. This regiment was unable to hold its ground, and fell back some half a mile on the same road, until re-enforced by two regiments of cavalry. They then again moved forward, but after regaining the original advanced position the infantry was recalled by General Cooke, and the cavalry, by my direction, fell back with some few prisoners they had secured. The enemy meantime had fired our train to prevent us from saving anything. The enemy now seemed disposed to quiet, and nothing apparently remaining to be accomplished by the small force with me, I directed it slowly to withdraw toward our main body near the station, and returned myself in that direction. Not long after the enemy made a sudden rush, and succeeded for a time in running over our small cavalry force, and threatening the unprotected rear of our line; our cavalry regiment, however, speedily rallied and charged in turn, and inflicted merited punishment upon their greatly outnumbering assailants. Shortly after night closed our guns were withdrawn, and we moved on the Farmville road, reaching Farmville early on the morning of the 7th.

As we were leaving Farmville by the bridge there crossing the Appomattox, the enemy pressed up close after our rear guard, and guns were placed in position and used to good purpose on the heights north of the river. Guns were again used with effect a mile or two farther